Sports and drugs are an unassuming match made in heaven.
Any performance-enhancing drugs are the usual go-to substances for athletes. However, these, along with most other compounds, are banned from many professional and collegiate-level sports, and they don’t really belong in the context of casual sporting experiences. With marijuana becoming increasingly more popular due to recent legalization in some U.S. states, weed seems more tailored to recreational users looking to enhance their casual athletic experiences. Yet not all of these experiences are created equal. In some cases, such as with track and field, marijuana has only contributed to an exponentially more miserable experience. In other sports, however, weed is a welcome and sometimes a necessary augmentation to the sport. Here are the top five sports to play casually while under the influence of marijuana.
5. Wiffle ball
Despite being the forgotten second cousin to baseball, wiffle ball is an iconic sport of American summertime. Nothing screams freedom like the adaptation of one of America’s most popular sports down to a level enjoyable for both adults and young children alike. If the adult experience wasn’t already nostalgic, what better way to relive a childhood classic than to shove marijuana into the equation? Under the influence, a wiffle ball “hits different,” so to speak. Not only does the feeling of pitching evolve into an entirely newfound experience, but the other essential aspects of the game become elevated alongside the initially mundane throwing of a ball. Hitting dingers and running around in the grass is a sensational experience that reawakens the inner child of adult participants while simultaneously building unforgettable memories that will stick around with participants for years to come.
4. Volleyball
To be clear, the indoor version of this sport is probably a miserable experience while high. Outdoor volleyball, however, is a completely different story. The word “volleyball” simply screams summertime and hot weather. It embodies the best parts of the warmer months that come and go from year to year. Volleyball strikes a perfect medium between the competitive and casual nature of most sports. That beautiful ratio is miraculously improved by weed. Outside of the sport itself, just the feeling of feet touching dewy grass or coarse sand under the rays of the warm sun is a memorable experience for the uninitiated stoner. Then, getting to dive for a leather volleyball adds another layer of enjoyment to the already pleasant experience. Combine all of that with the satisfaction of spiking the volleyball and sharing endless laughs with friends. Stoner volleyball is a truly unforgettable life experience and is best played on a hot beach in Cancún.
3. Basketball
Playing basketball while high comes at a bit of a tradeoff. Marijuana can decrease athletic performance, oftentimes leaving the user more easily winded or with a bad case of cotton mouth. However, it also decreases anxiety and can provide a noticeable difference in focus during play. In the case of basketball, running from basket to basket is probably too much activity for someone who’s stoned on the court — but consider this. Just taking 3-pointers the whole game is basically a cheat code for stoners. Posting up outside the arc is convenient and shortens the travel from the defensive end to the offensive transition. All that’s left to do is fire shots from beyond the arc and pray that they go in. The free-feeling mindset allows one to play uninhibited by doubt or worry that the shot will miss, which can be both a positive or a negative. Under the influence of marijuana, it’s essentially the same experience minus the anxiety and with the added benefit of playing high.
2. Lacrosse
It’s unclear why lacrosse is fun to play while stoned. It just is. It seems that any mention of lacrosse under the influence of weed is immediately followed by countless superlatives. What truly stops it from topping out the list is the unfortunate dangers of hard rubber balls being hurled around the field, not to mention the direct shots targeted at whichever brave soul opts to stand in between the pipes. A lacrosse ball to the torso is an easy way to sour a sober experience on the field, and that injury becomes even more insufferable following a team blunt rotation. That, however, appears to be the only downside. The technical and precise aspects of the sport become both more enjoyable and much easier, almost as if an eighth chakra has been unlocked specifically for lacrosse. Surely if marijuana was legal in the realm of upper-level lacrosse competition, the memorable smell of hot AstroTurf would be replaced by the rising scent of the devil’s lettuce.
1. Golf
Drugs are always welcome acquaintances to the casual golfing experience. The golf cart is seemingly one of the greatest inventions in modern sporting, capable of taxiing golfers from hole to hole or, more importantly, from the country club bar to the green expanse of the course. However, why go through all of that trouble when a more relaxing state of mind can be achieved right from the small of a pocket? Dedicating an entire hand to a glass of booze can be such an inconvenience to the average golfer. Marijuana is a different story. Replace that first-hole cigar for a blunt, and allow it to elevate the experience tenfold. Golf attire is typically festooned with different sizes and shapes of pockets for a good reason. Golf, an already tranquil sport on casual participation, is elevated to an entirely new level of enjoyment when accompanied by weed. As far as most other sports are concerned, a casual golf experience is largely uncontested as one of the most relaxing and weed only serves to make that feeling more euphoric. Where that feeling of tranquility ends, the sharp focus for long-range drives and close-range putts begins. It almost feels as though this is the proper way to enjoy the sport. For those looking to find a fun athletics experience as a stoner, golf is the ultimate gateway to the world of inebriated sports.
Editor’s note: Doing physical activity while under the influence of any substance is dangerous. We do not encourage participating in athletics while high and urge you to prioritize your safety. Always use caution, do your research and prioritize your health and safety.